


An Observational Study on the Habits of Woodland Elves: A Guide by Kenjirou Minami

by japansace



Series: My Love, We Deserve the Softest Eternity [10]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: + magic, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Elves, Intersex Elves, King Victor Nikiforov, M/M, Minami turns his imprisonment into a case study: the fic, Mpreg, Queen Yuuri Katsuki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-10
Updated: 2019-07-10
Packaged: 2020-06-25 14:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19747681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/japansace/pseuds/japansace
Summary: Then he has the queen’s delicate wrist in his hand, and Queen Yuuri is turning at just the right angle: his hair rippling like quasars, his eyes like molten honey, his fingertips pressing the lightest of touches to his lower stomach, just over a gentle but rising slope, and oh—oh—





	An Observational Study on the Habits of Woodland Elves: A Guide by Kenjirou Minami

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know what happened. I blacked out for like two hours last night, and then in the morning, I woke up to this.
> 
> (To be honest, I started writing this as a joke, and then I just kinda ran with it...?)
> 
> Ages: 
> 
> Victor: 4780  
> Yuuri: 4740

_~~The Occupational Hazards of Long-Distance Guiding~~ _

_~~A Travel Journal in Which No One Travels~~ _

_~~How Not to Get Smited by the King of Woodland~~ _

_Day Two of Hostage Situation:_

_Well, I call it a “hostage situation,” but the denizens of Woodland have been nothing but kind to me. They’re wary, of course, with having a mortal meander about; but I suppose the caution is more than warranted. Still, I keep catching furtive looks: some of pity, some of suspicion._

_I know right away I’m on thin ice with the king—no pun intended—so I avoid him at all costs, skittering around the corners of doorways whenever he happens to stroll by. I’m fairly certain he’s more than aware of this and has graciously elected to ignore it._

_Unfortunately, avoiding the king means I, too, am avoiding the queen, as one is so very rarely without the other._

_But perhaps that is for the better, for when I_ do _occasionally catch one of His Majesty’s glances, it’s always a look of such overwhelming kindness that I am immediately overcome with the perplexing desire to spill all my wrongdoings—as though I’m a child again and he’s caught me with one hand down the cookie jar._

_It’s… an odd sensation, to say the least._

“Vitya?”

Minami startles, his pencil snapping against parchment as he looks up from his journal.

“Oh…” The queen appears crestfallen, holding a hand to his sternum as he looks to the floor, abashed. “I’m sorry… I thought my darling might be here.” He glances up, eyes glittering. “Have you seen him…?" 

“Uh—“ Minami tries, valiantly, to get his tongue to work. “—yes, actually. I saw him go towards the library.” _When I was avoiding him earlier,_ he certainly doesn’t add.

A midsummer’s day could not be brighter than the queen’s expression then. “Thank you, Minami!” He practically skips out of the room, beatific smile in perfect place.

Odd, indeed.

* * *

_Day Five of Hostage Situation:_

_I know I previously mentioned Yuri (known colloquially as “Yura”) is the son of the King and Queen of Woodland, but it seems the matter is far more complicated than that._

_He isn’t related by blood. That much I learned from a merchant, when an innocuous haggle over kumquats turned to politics._

_He_ is _Woodland-born, purportedly, but his parents disappeared shortly after his birth._

_I cannot say for certain if it was a voluntary thing or not. (The merchant was reticent to inform me one way or the other.) But elven children all seemed so loved; I’d hate to think such was the case._

_However way he came to be orphaned, he was then raised by the king and queen, who recognize him fully as their son._

_I cannot help but wonder if perhaps this was done out of necessity—if the king and queen cannot have children of their own, being that their biology is incompatible._

_Something tells me the queen would have adopted him regardless, kind-hearted as he is._

A soft humming draws Minami’s attention away from his report. He ventures outside of the tea room, following the sound.

It leads him to a large den of sorts, a fire crackling in its hearth at the center. And before it, Queen Yuuri sits, yarn upon his lap as he draws the strands together: one over, one under, pull taut, repeat.

Several dogs litter the rug around his feet, raising their heads when they sense Minami’s presence; they clearly have growls at the ready in their throats, should Minami decide to act foolishly.

“Oh—“ The queen takes note of the behavior, looking up from his work to greet the visitor. “Good evening.”

“Good… evening.”

“Did I disturb you?”

 _How could you?_ “Certainly not.”

“I’m glad.” The queen goes back to his work, taking up the strands. “I understand that being kept here isn’t exactly what you intended, so I’d like to make your stay as comfortable as possible, where I can.”

“I thank you, Your Majesty.”

“No such thing is necessary.”

Cautious, Minami crosses the room to sit across from the queen, mindful of the dogs—of their eyes trained on him: on every twitch, every minute gesture. “Ah, um… Have you heard from Prince Leo and company yet?”

Minami immediately regrets having asked the question when the queen’s hands halt their movement, wetness springing to the corner of his eyes. “Not yet… But of course it’s too soon. They would still need another day or two to reach Lake District—maybe three, since most of the party consists of dwarves.”

“Yes… Yes, of course.”

The queen lifts a hand, scrubbing at the would-be tears. “Please pay this no mind,” he says, sniffling. “I’m just a bit emotional lately.”

Minami nods, recalling, “Yes, when we were being held captive your son said—“

“Starlight.”

Queen Yuuri brightens, sitting up straighter in his chair. “Moonlight.”

The king strides across the room, the dogs parting like the tides around his feet. He takes a knee before his beloved, kissing at his knuckles, his cheek. “Are you ready for bed, my darling?”

“M’hmm. Just allow me to put this away.” He stands, going over to a bureau to stow away his craft.

The king takes the opportunity to unsubtly glare at Minami, in warning. 

And Minami, of course, gets the message loud and clear.

* * *

_Day Twenty-One of ~~Hostage Situation~~ Woodland Residency:_

_Queen Yuuri is being seen less and less these days. The elves don’t seem alarmed by this, somehow. I’m told he’s been sleeping a lot and that it’s nothing to fret over._

_I truly cannot understand the lack of concern. If a human was suffering from such lethargy, they’d be calling a healer—or a priest, maybe. But even the king—whose devotion to the queen is entirely unmatched—seems mostly unbothered, if not a bit tenser than usual._

_I find myself restless, in need of answers—or at least a worthy distraction._

Woodland Castle is… labyrinthine, to put it mildly.

Minami has been sketching out a rough outline of the structure for the better part of an hour, but he keeps scratching at his head, wanting to put hallways where there are no room for such hallways. From the focal point of the foyer, he believes he’s got the perimeter fairly metered out, but the rest… alludes him.

It’s almost as though everything is constantly moving.

But certainly that cannot be the case, as Minami knows of no elven power that is capable of such a thing. (Then again, he knew nothing of the queen’s power less than a month ago, so perhaps that isn’t saying much.)

Still, the veil of Woodland hides the kingdom entirely; surely the elves could easily conjure some other trick, to keep things in disarray?

“Oh, Vitya won’t like that. Won’t like that at all.”

“ _Eep_!”

The queen giggles, stepping the rest of the way down the entry stairs. “My love doesn’t allow for maps of the castle to venture outside of Woodland. Besides which—“ He pries the sketch from Minami’s grip—from where he had it pressed up against his chest—and takes the charcoal piece from his hand. “—it’s all wrong. You misunderstand the structure. It’s three-tiered, not two.” He takes the drawing implement to the paper, dragging surer lines over Minami’s amateur ones. “I understand how you could get confused though. I too was confused, three thousand years ago." 

Minami… doesn’t know how to respond to that.

“Mm… there. That’s more accurate.” Queen Yuuri hands back his book, lashes fluttering. “You can have it for now, but we’ll have to confiscate it later, when the time comes.”  
  
“I… understand.” Minami swallows, eyes surveying the new map. “Well, at least this will help me not to get lost while I’m here.”

The queen laughs. “True enough.” He stands from where he seated himself upon the stairs, using the banister as leverage. “Then I’ll leave you to your work.”

Minami doesn’t know what possesses him.

“Your Majesty—“  
  
Then he has the queen’s delicate wrist in his hand, and Queen Yuuri is turning at just the right angle: his hair rippling like quasars, his eyes like molten honey, his fingertips pressing the lightest of touches to his lower stomach, just over a gentle but rising slope, and oh— _oh_ —

“Oh.”  
  
All Minami sees is the queen’s eyes flash, and then he’s being drawn into a black hole of exhaustion he has no proper means to fight.

* * *

_Day ??? of Woodland Residency:_

_I woke up in my own room a while ago, a tiredness I’ve never known sunken into me bone-deep. I can’t recall what’s happened clearly, but I know for certain I’ve made some kind of social faux-pas, as elven guards have been posted outside my door and will not permit me to leave._

_They at least allowed me this journal back, for which I am grateful._

_Could it really be that Queen Yuuri is—?_

A sharp knock halts Minami’s hand. “Come in?”

He doesn’t know what he expected—Queen Yuuri, perhaps, if only to confirm he was well—but the King of Woodland himself enters, lips pulled into a tight but neutral moue. He seats himself at the edge of Minami’s bed, close to where the guide has wound himself against the headboard, book held tightly against his chest.

All at once, he feels oh-so small.

The king opens his mouth—presumably to say something—but then only laughs, a self-deprecating thing. “I wish I had Yuuri for this,” he laments mostly, it seems, to himself. He drags fingers through his hair, where it’s been left frayed and unkempt. “He would know what to do.”

Minami leans forward, just a tad. “And why’s that?”

The king fixes him with a hard stare. “Yuuri… seems to think we can trust you. I only wish I could confirm it.”

“And Queen Yuuri could…?”

“Under usual circumstances, yes.”

Minami nods, slow. “He’s, ah… what you say… a ‘mind talent’?” The Elvish is clumsy on his tongue.

“Indeed. It's… very rare.”

“I see. But… he can’t use it now, can he?”

“He _can_ , though he shouldn’t.”

Minami hesitates, then pushes through. “Because he’s…” He pantomimes a large belly with his hands.

King Victor lets out a breath, full-bodied. “So you know.”

“It was starting to become noticeable.”

The king hangs his head, a wry smile pulling at his lips. “It was only a matter of time, really.”

“Then you don’t want people to know?”

“Surely humans take similar precautions.”

“Well, of course! But you elves seem particularly wary.”

The king folds his hands upon his lap, looks to the window where the sky is growing dark, stars coming out to shimmer a liquid silver. “I don’t feel comfortable discussing the details of the matter with a mortal—especially one I cannot fully trust yet—but if you are to remain here… I suppose I can give you some idea of the situation.”

Minami perks up, attentive.

“Then this is what I can tell you: Every elf has their talent. Most are elemental, as you may have noticed. Here in Woodland, the common ones are ice and foliage—though, that’s not relevant.

“In any case, we elves don’t have children terribly often—for practical reasons, as our existence is eternal, barring any outside influence. And the process of having them—while not unlike a mortal’s—is trying on the mother in ways other than the universal.

“The baby is forming a talent too, inside the womb. It draws from the power of the mother to accomplish this, leaving them drained. The worst of it is at the beginning and end, where their senses are dulled to a near-mortal level; and any use of their talent during that time is exhausting—and thus dangerous to them. Leaves them vulnerable.

“So forgive me if I seem overly protective, but I cannot help it—no more so than anyone from Woodland or any other elven kingdom can, for that matter. Our instincts are heightened when one around us is expecting, and we cannot refuse to cater to them any more than a human could stop their own breathing.

“Besides which…” The king smiles, despite himself. “He is my sunshine. My very soul. And the fact that he has chosen to take on this burden only goes to further showcase his strength, how precious he is.”

Minami turns his journal in his hands, words stalled in his mouth. No sentiment feels enough, but he tries. “Thank you, Your Majesty, for… trusting me with this much.”

A sharpness returns to the king’s eyes. “Tentative trust. You will still be watched and are not to leave here. We will see, given time, whether or not I have made a wise decision.”

He turns to the bedside table, surveying the candle wick there that's nearly melted into its plate. “It’s late. Get some rest.” He flicks a snow flurry at it, snuffing the flame out; his eyes are crystal-white in the dark. “Goddess knows Yuuri needs some, after that little trick he pulled on you.”

He leaves, chuckling, and while Minami knows he _should_ feel threatened, all he feels is well-received and warm all over. 

* * *

_Day Twenty-Six of Woodland Residency:_   
  
_~~Queen Yuuri is expecting.~~_

_~~Soon there will be a new prince or princess of Woodland.~~ _

_The queen is feeling better, at last. I’m glad._

**Author's Note:**

> <3


End file.
